Porträt des Camille Roulin

In the winter of 1888 Van Gogh was living in Arles and had befriended the local postman, Joseph Roulin, a big bearded man he admired for his warmth. Over a few months he painted the whole family, and this is Camille, Roulin's middle son, who was 11 when he sat for it. Van Gogh wanted portraits that felt modern, and he chased character through colour rather than fine detail. The blue of the cap, the green and red of the jacket and the yellow behind the boy all turn up again in the tones of his face. He made two versions of this one, keeping neither for long. He sent this to his brother Theo and gave the other to the Roulins themselves.